mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999
All the examples you gave in your original statement does NOT constitute a defect. It is very important to understand the difference between an actual defect and the service metrics. They are different and the distinction is important to understanding this Service Metrics process.
A defect in regards to a Request for return by a buyer is ONLY created if the Request gets escalated to Ebay for their intervention. If the claim is ruled in favor of the buyer, then the seller is dinged for a defect for not resolving the claim before being escalated to Ebay. It does not matter if it is a BR, SNAD or INR. An unresolved escalated request will be a defect.
With one exception. ONLY sellers with a No Return policy can deny a Request for return if it is filed as a BR. No other return policy allows for this. ALL other types of return policies available on Ebay requires that the seller WILL honor a BR request.
For the Service Metrics, it is just the mere fact that a SNAD gets opened that counts in the metrics. The outcome or reason does not matter. The SNAD does NOT have to of caused a Defect. It is just the fact it was opened that matters for the Service Metrics.
There is an important distinction here and we need to understand the difference. More confusion is caused by not using words that apply as defined by Ebay. While the word DEFECT may mean something else to you, what is important here is what it means to Ebay. They often have different definitions of certain words than others may have. So to minimize confusiont it is best to use the words as Ebay intends them to be used, not how we want to define them.
Ebay is being honest about how this new policy is structured. We just need to wrap our heads around it. While I am completely and utterly against this new policy, it is still Ebay's site and they write the rules in which we must abide by if we are going to sell here. Now there are details of this program that Ebay is not sharing and that is of great concern. They are not sharing their metric formula on how these peer groups are formed and the details behind them.
I do understand that they can not provide us with private account information, nor should Ebay EVER do that, but there is most likely a way they can be more forthcoming about how this is arrived at to make it more transparent without breaching privacy.
I see all kinds of problems with this policy. But to me the most important one is the company in charge of enforcing this policy, writing this policy and designing the metrics in which this policy is based on is the ONLY company that will actually get a financial reward for how it is applied. In my mind, this is a clear and utter conflict of interest.
But for now, we all must live with this. And everyone needs to be clear on this. It is NOT going to affect a whole lot of sellers.
It is important to read, re-read and digest the link below. Don't assume you know what it says, read it carefully and a few times until you feel you understand what it is trying to say to you. The best defense is an offense. So the better you understand what this policy is really about and how it is applied, the better off you are. This policy will NOT hit small sellers as much as it will medium and up sizes. Know the policy and understand the difference in word definitions is your best way to stay above the fray.
@itsjustasprain wrote:
@richard1rst wrote:
I suggest that based on those exemptions alone the only people who are going to be penalized are those who are doing such a horribly lousy job that they probably should be in some other line of work in the first place,.
Not to mention the freakout title reading '40% SELLING PENALTIES' which it isnt.
Its a 40% INCREASE on the original 10% fee. Its a difference of 4% of the total - from 10% to 14% of the sale. Its not a 40% fee on whatever you take in.
Let's look at this a bit differently to see if it makes better sense to all of us. Because make no mistake this is a 40% increase on FVFs. Certainly Ebay is saying it is a 4% increase because it doesn't look as harsh as it is in reality. And as Ebay explains it with the 10% current fee plus the 4% penalty, that equals 14%, which on the face of it is certainly correct. But lets look at this in a different way.
Let's take a $100 sale.
FVF on $100 @ 10% is $10, that is easy enough
FVF on $100 @ 14% is $14, again easy enough
So if your normal fee is $10 on that $100 sale and my FVF for the penalty is going to increase it by 4%, that would mean that the FVF should be $10.40. [$10 x 4% = 0.40]. Oh wait that doesn't work. The FVF you would be paying in the penalty phase would NOT be 4% more on your FVF that you are use to paying.
But if you take that $10 on the $100 sale and you have to pay the additional $4 on it because you are in the penalty, that makes $14 in FVFs you will have to pay. $4.00 divided by the $10.00 you would normally pay is 40%. [4% divided by 10% = 40%]
So while they are changing the FVF from 10% to 14% it is NOT costing you 4% more, it is costing you 40% more in FVFs over what you would normally pay if you were not in the penalty phase of this policy.
If Ebay were to add a TRUE 4% increase on the FVF, then 10% times 4% equals 10.4%.
But 10% times 40% = 14%
@readabouthorses wrote:
And don't forget those categories that got that little FVF increase with the Fall Seller Update. Normal went from 10% to 12% so if you then add on the extra 4% that is going to make it impossible to sell in the categories they did this to if you get dragged into the extra percentage thing.
Valid point. But I've just been trying to keep it simple. It is easier for to understand using the 10% as an example. But you are absolutely right, some sellers have higher than 10% normal FVFs and some have lower ones.
@bosmingfarg wrote:
It's hell waiting for the ebay ax to fall based on things we don't fully understand. I am so sorry for the "small" sellers, and the "big" volume sellers who did everything right, marched right along with continued loyalty and enthusiasm. Ebay has lost its mind. It breaks things that were working just fine. Greed bay. Where does it stop ?? Bend or break. Go broke and break spiritually and physically. Horrific.
I think if you read the link I provided a couple posts back, you will see that it is NOT the Small sellers that are going to be largely affected by this. They won't qualify to be in the metrics in the first place.
@buyselljack2016 wrote:With 50% FVF's I will have to stop selling.
WAIT, where the heck are you getting that. It is NOT a 50% fee of ANY kind.
A $100 sale at 10% is a $10 FVF
A $100 sale at 14% is a $14 FVF
No where near $50
